Productive and safe workplaces for an ageing workforce

A guide to implementation: Checklist of strategies and some useful resources

Strategy	Activities	For more information
Health promotion and related initiatives
Promote health, work and family balance, and work/life initiatives	A range of initiatives may be considered	NSW Health, Healthy ageing and physical activity, 1999, http://www.health.nsw.gov.au Active Australia & the Department of Health and Aged Care, National Physical Activity Guidelines, 1999 http://www.health.gov.au Department of Employment and Workplace Relations http://www.workplace.gov.au/WorkFamily Comcare, Improving occupational health and safety and rehabilitation performance through workplace agreements, 2003
Improve work task design
Promote employees’ control over their work depending on agency needs and employee preferences.	Avoid machine-paced work. Design to allow self-pacing at varying rates. Maximise scope for making decisions about own work.	Comcare, Officewise: a guide to health & safety in the office, 2002 Managing an ageing workforce: a guide to good practice, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1998 Combating age barriers in employment: a European portfolio of good practice, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1997
Reduce physical loads	Mechanise; provide trolleys and moving equipment. Alter workplace layout (working heights, storage of equipment). Change the nature of loads. Provide appropriate tools.	Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) National Standards) Regulations 1994: Part 5-Manual Handling Approved Code of Practice for Manual Handling, incorporating the National Code of Practice for Manual Handling [NOHSC:2005]
Ensure good visibility of task-related information	Ensure good visibility or legibility of all task related related information: eg good task lighting, adequate font sizes, contrast with background.	Officewise: a guide to health & safety in the office, Comcare, 2002 Approved Code of Practice on Interior Lighting, incorporating the Australian Standard—Interior Lighting Part 1, 2, 3 & 4: (AS 1680)(for purchase)
Improve posture	Reorganise workplace layout. Redesign tasks. Provide seating or sit/stand workstations.	Officewise: a guide to health & safety in the office, Comcare, 2002 Approved Code of Practice for Manual Handling, incorporating the National Code of Practice for Manual Handling [NOHSC:2005]
Set reasonable work rate standards, production targets or workloads	Ensure production requirements based on adequate understanding of time needed for good quality performance; clearly define performance quality standards.	Officewise: a guide to health & safety in the office, Comcare, 2002 Managing an ageing workforce: a guide to good practice, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1998 Combating age barriers in employment: a European portfolio of good practice, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1997
Improve job design and work organisation
Avoid monotony, short cycle times	Design jobs with a variety of different tasks; avoid highly repetitive work.	Officewise: a guide to health & safety in the office, Comcare, 2002 Managing an ageing workforce: a guide to good practice, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1998 Combating age barriers in employment: a European portfolio of good practice, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1997
Improve work scheduling	Use best practice shift systems to minimise chronic fatigue; avoid mandatory night shifts for older employees
Allow flexibility in taking rest breaks	Allow individuals to vary the timing of rest breaks to match their own needs.
Allow individuals time to adapt to new tasks	Gradually increase time on task; reduce performance requirements during adaption period
Support flexible employment conditions	Allow part-time work, job sharing and phased retirement where practicable.
Improve the physical work environment
Minimise glare	Ensure effective shielding of direct light sources; adjust reflective surfaces, such as computer monitors, to avoid reflected glare.	Officewise: a guide to health & safety in the office, Comcare, 2002 Approved Code of Practice on Interior Lighting, incorporating the Australian Standard—Interior Lighting Part 1, 2, 3 & 4: (AS 1680) (for purchase)
Ensure good lighting levels	Ensure that room lighting meets but does not substantially exceed Australian standard recommendations; use supplementary task lighting where higher levels would be helpful.
Minimise noise levels	Minimise noise levels, remembering that levels well below those which would cause injury can significantly degrade people’s capacity to work effectively.	Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment)(National Standards) Regulations 1994: Part 3- Occupational Noise Approved Code of Practice for Noise, incorporating the National Code of Practice for Noise Management and Protection of Hearing at Work [NOHSC: 2009]
Eliminate hazards that may cause slips, trips and falls	Install non-slip floor surfaces; establish clean-up procedures for spills; provide good lighting (e.g. for stairs and corridors); remove trip hazards such as uneven surfaces, objects stored on floors; promote physical exercise programs that include balance training, resistance and weight transfer.	Guide to preventing slips trips and falls, Comcare, 2002
Make allowances for working in heat and encourage sun-safe behaviour	Ensure access to water and that work is self-paced with flexible break times; allow additional rest time; reduce demands for those unaccustomed to the work and/or conditions. Promote use of sun-protective clothing, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses and sunscreen for outdoor work. Give consideration to use of natural and artificial shade and to reorganising outdoor work programs by doing alternative tasks when the sun is hottest. Promote regular checks for skin cancers.	Hazards of working in heat, Comcare fact sheet 27, April 2003 ACTU guidelines for working in seasonal heat, Australian Council of Trade Unions , 1998 Guidance Note for the Protection of Workers from the Ultraviolet Radiation in Sunlight as amended, [NOHSC:3012 (1991)] Approved Code of Practice on Protection of Workers From the Ultraviolet Radiation in Sunlight, Comcare, OHS Fact Sheet No 33/99-October 1999
Support and improve people’s performance capacities
Develop best practice performance standards	For key tasks, clearly define and communicate to employees the easiest and most efficient methods for task performance.	Managing an ageing workforce: a guide to good practice, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1998 Combating age barriers in employment: a European portfolio of good practice, European Foundation for the for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1998
Develop and maintain support systems	Ensure that required resources and information are easily accessible; ensure good communication and feedback.
Improve training programs	Familiarise all employees (particularly supervisors and managers) with basic information about age-related changes in work performance characteristics that may be relevant to their workplace. Ensure that training procedures cater for varying individual learning styles and needs.	Managing an ageing workforce: a guide to good practice, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 1998
Improve employee morale and expertise	Provide opportunities for social interactions between co-workers. Support mentoring and skills transfer from older to younger workers. Encourage sabbaticals and other personal development opportunities.